ECS
From the ECS State Policy Database
2005 State Policies / Activities

Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org

The following summary includes policies enacted in 2005. This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the topic of interest. To view all, press the button located at the top labeled "Expand All."

Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date].

State Status/Date Level Summary
+ Accountability
+ Accountability--Accreditation
+ Accountability--Measures/Indicators
+ Accountability--Reporting Results
+ Accountability--Rewards
+ Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions
+ Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--No Pass No Drive
+ Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--Takeovers
+ Accountability--School Improvement
+ Adult Basic Education
+ Assessment
+ Assessment--Accommodations
+ Assessment--Computer Based
+ Assessment--End-of-Course
+ Assessment--Formative/Interim
+ Assessment--High Stakes/Competency
+ Assessment--Value Added
+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)
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+ At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol
+ Attendance
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+ Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower)
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+ Cheating
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Charter Districts
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Closings
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Cyber Charters
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance
+ Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research
+ Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment
+ Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools
+ Choice of Schools--Tax Credits
+ Choice of Schools--Vouchers
+ Civic Education
+ Civic Education--Character Education
+ Civic Education--Pledge of Allegiance
+ Class Size
+ Curriculum
+ Curriculum--Arts Education
+ Curriculum--Censorship
+ Curriculum--Core Curriculum
+ Curriculum--Drivers Education
+ Curriculum--Environmental Education
+ Curriculum--Family Living Education
+ Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed.
+ Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language
+ Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education
+ Curriculum--International Education
+ Curriculum--Language Arts
+ Curriculum--Mathematics
+ Curriculum--Multicultural
+ Curriculum--Physical Education
+ Curriculum--Science
+ Curriculum--Sex Education
+ Curriculum--Social Studies/History
+ Curriculum--Speech Education
+ Data-Driven Improvement
+ Demographics--Enrollments
+ Desegregation
+ Economic/Workforce Development
+ Education Research
+ Equity
+ Finance
+ Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost
+ Finance--District
+ Finance--Equity
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+ Finance--Federal
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+ Finance--Litigation
+ Finance--Local Foundations/Funds
+ Finance--Lotteries
+ Finance--Resource Efficiency
+ Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures
+ Finance--Student Fees
+ Finance--Taxes/Revenues
+ Finance--Taxes/Revenues--Alternative Revenues
+ Governance
+ Governance--Deregulation/Waivers/Home Rule
+ Governance--Ethics/Conflict of Interest
- Governance--School Boards
ILSigned into law 08/2005P-12Clarifies that nothing in statute may preclude an elected school board member from participating in a group health insurance program provided to an employee of the school district that the board member serves if the board member is a dependent of that employee.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0410
Title: H.B. 881 -- Board Member Health Insurance
Source: www.ilga.gov

ILSigned into law 07/2005P-12Allows a board of school directors (except for the Chicago board of education) to appoint a student to the board to serve in an advisory capacity. The student member is to serve for a term as determined by the board. The board may not grant the student member any voting privileges, but is to consider the student member as an advisor. The student member may not participate in or attend any executive session of the board.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0231
Title: S.B. 1638
Source: http://www.ilga.gov/

LASigned into law 07/2005P-12Exempts any school board in a parish containing a municipality with a population of 400,000 or more from the requirement that the school board allow public comment prior to taking any vote and preceding each agenda item at board meetings. Provides instead that such school board shall provide opportunity for public comment at each meeting, subject to reasonable rules and restrictions adopted by the school board. Retains application of provisions relative to a comment period for all comments at the beginning of the meeting not being sufficient for all school boards, including a school board in a parish containing a municipality with a population of 400,000 or more.
Title: H.B. 252
Source: 2005 Legislative Highlights Document

NCSigned into law 07/2005P-12Requires at least one public comment period per month at a regular meeting of a local board of education, county board of commissioners, or municipal governing board. http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/House/HTML/H635v5.html
Title: H.B. 635
Source:

NYSigned into law 07/2005P-12One section requires every trustee or voting member of a board of education of a school district or a board of cooperative educational services, elected or appointed for a term beginning on or after July first, two thousand five, shall, within the first year of his or her term, complete a minimum of six hours of training on the financial oversight, accountability and fiduciary responsibilities of a school board member. Upon demonstration of compliance, no trustee or member of a board of education or a board of cooperative educational services shall be required to repeat this training requirement. Also requires The report of that annual audits be presented to the trustees or board of education and sets other requirements for audits.
Title: H.B. 6082
Source: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us

NYSigned into law 07/2005P-12Provides that there may be more than one student representative on a school board and for the manner of their selection.
Title: H.B. 88
Source: StateNet

TXSigned into law 06/2005P-12Current state law does not permit military officers to serve on the school boards of military reservation school districts, which is inconsistent with federal policy. S.B. 144 amends the Texas Education Code to authorize the state board to appoint military officers to the board of trustees of a military reservation school district.
Title: S.B. 144
Source: StateNet

GASigned into law 05/2005P-12States that local boards of education are authorized to expend local funds for life, disability, and liability insurance, retirement and pension coverage, social security coverage, and similar benefits for members of such local boards of education who elect to participate.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/sum/sb98.htm
Title: S.B. 98
Source: www.legis.state.ga.us

ORSigned into law 05/2005P-12Amends the prohibition of district employees or charter school employees from serving as a board member in that district. Allows a district employee or public charter school employee to serve if:
(a) The person is employed by the district or public charter school as a substitute school bus driver; and
(b) The district has an average daily membership (ADM) of 50 or less. http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measpdf/hb2400.dir/hb2443.en.pdf
Title: H.B. 2443
Source: http://www.leg.state.or.us

VTSigned into law 05/2005P-12Stipulates that the school board instead of the selectboard is to fill a vacancy on a town or union school board. If a town does not have a school board, the town's selectboard is to appoint a person who is otherwise eligible to serve as a director from that district until an election at a special or annual district meeting is held.http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2006/bills/passed/H-201.HTM
Title: H.B. 201
Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us

ARSigned into law 04/2005P-12An act to restrict school districts from employing relatives of board members.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/HB1867.pdf
Title: H.B. 1867
Source: StateNet

ARSigned into law 04/2005P-12Increases from six to nine the number of hours of training that a newly elected member of a school board of directors is required to obtain following election. Specifies that every local board member who has served for at least 12 consecutive months must complete six hours of training annually. Requires training for both new and experienced board members to include topics relevant to school laws, school operations, and the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the local board members, including legal requirements, role differentiation, financial management and improving student achievement. Allows hours of training and instruction obtained in excess of the minimum requirements each year to accumulate and be carried forward from year to year.

Requires a statement of each board member's hours of training and instruction in the preceding year be: (A) Part of the comprehensive school plan and goals; (B) Published in the same way that other components of the comprehensive school plan and goals are required to be published; and (C) Made a part of the annual school performance report.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/HB2517.pdf
Title: H.B. 2517
Source: www.arkleg.state.ar.us

ARSigned into law 04/2005P-12Repeals county boards of education. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/hb1701.pdf
Title: H.B. 1701
Source: StateNet

ARSigned into law 04/2005P-12Bars all local boards from having an even number of members, regardless of prior annexation or consolidation agreements. Requires any resultant change in the number of members on a local school board to be effective upon the directors' taking office following the 2005 annual school election. Requires lots to be drawn if a local board cannot agree upon the method of reducing the number of members to create an odd number of members.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/sb1044.pdf
Title: S.B. 1044 (sections 11-13)
Source: www.arkleg.state.ar.us

ARSigned into law 04/2005P-12Repeals Arkansas Code § 6-14-120 pertaining to the election of school district boards of directors.

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/sb1044.pdf
Title: S.B. 1044 (section 32)
Source: www.arkleg.state.ar.us

AZSigned into law 04/2005P-12Repeals provision granting a school district and its employees immunity from civil liability for the consequences of the good faith adoption and implementation of policies and procedures relating to the health and safety of all pupils participating in district sponsored practice sessions, games or other interscholastic athletic activities, including the provision of water.

Also repeals provision granting a school district and its employees immunity from liability for any good faith actions taken in regard to the state requirement to report to local law enforcement agencies any suspected crime against a person or property that is a serious offense as defined in section 13-604 or that involves a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or serious physical injury and any conduct that poses a threat of death or serious physical injury to employees, students or anyone on the property of the school.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=2368
Title: H.B. 2368
Source: www.azleg.state.az.us

ARSigned into law 03/2005P-12Amends sections of the Arkansas code pertaining to school elections. Specifies that the annual school election may concern only issues
authorized to be on the ballot by the Arkansas Constitution or by statute and no other issues shall appear on the ballot. Permits a school election to be held on a date other than that fixed by law only if it pertains to the tax rate or debt issues and other requirements are met. Repeals Arkansas Code § 6-14-105 on special elections. Clarifies other administrative matters pertaining to school district elections.
ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/bills/2005/public/HB2468.pdf
Title: H.B. 2468
Source: www.arkleg.state.ar.us

ARSigned into law 03/2005P-12Requires school district auditors to comply with the requirements and prohibitions of the federal Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/HB2700.pdf
Title: H.B. 2700
Source: StateNet

KYSigned into law 03/2005P-12
Postsec.
Requires the attorney general to distribute Open Meetings and Open Records Act information to local government officials, superintendents of public school districts, and presidents of public universities. Requires superintendents and presidents of public universities to distribute this information to every elected school board and school council member and to every board of regents or governing board member of their university, respectively. http://lrc.ky.gov/RECORD/05RS/HB77.htm
Title: H.B. 77
Source:

KYSigned into law 03/2005P-12(8) School councils at all school levels are encouraged to identify and allocate resources to qualified teachers to become coaches or mentors in mathematics or coaches or mentors in reading with a focus on improving student achievement in their respective schools.

(9) Local school boards and superintendents shall provide local resources, whenever possible, to supplement or match state and federal resources to support teachers, school administrators, and school councils in helping students achieve proficiency in reading and mathematics.

(10) Local school superintendents shall provide leadership and resources to the principals of all schools to facilitate curriculum alignment, communications, and technical support among schools to ensure that students are academically prepared to move to the next level of schooling.

Declares an emergency.

http://lrc.ky.gov/RECORD/05RS/HB93.htm
Fiscal note: http://lrc.ky.gov/RECORD/05RS/HB93/FN.doc
Title: H.B. 93 (Section 1, paragraphs 8-10)
Source: lrc.ky.gov

NDSigned into law 03/2005P-12Relates to the power of school boards to lease equipment, furniture, supplies and textbooks; and dismiss district personnel.

http://www.state.nd.us/lr/assembly/59-2005/bill-text/FARU0300.pdf
Title: S.B. 2226
Source: StateNet

SDSigned into law 03/2005P-12Prohibits certain officials from voting if a conflict of interest exists. http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2005/bills/SB171enr.pdf
Title: S.B. 171
Source: http://legis.state.sd.us

UTSigned into law 03/2005P-12Provides that when a vacancy occurs in the office of president or vice president of a local school board for any reason, a replacement shall be elected for the unexpired term; and requires attendance of a simple majority of the board members to constitute a quorum for the transaction of official business. http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/hbillenr/hb0139.pdf
Title: H.B. 139
Source: http://www.le.state.ut.us

VASigned into law 03/2005P-12Increases the maximum salary to be paid members of the school board (affects the Salem board). Across the state, salaries range from $240 to $5300. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?051+ful+CHAP0536
Title: H.B. 1989
Source: http://leg1.state.va.us

ARSigned into law 02/2005P-12An act to protect the continuity of school boards by amending the procedure for election of school boards following annexation; allows certain districts to return to at-large elections. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2005/public/hb1266.pdf
Title: H.B. 1266
Source: StateNet

ILSigned into law 01/2005P-12Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code to allow a child with a disability who has completed four years of high school to participate in the graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion under specified circumstances. Further amends the School Code to make changes to the ballot forms for school board elections. Amends provisions concerning enrollment of pupils below or above the compulsory school age; specifies circumstances under which a school or school district may deny enrollment to a student 17 years of age or older for one semester for failure to meet minimum attendance or academic standards. Defines "reenrolled student". Changes eligibility age for graduation incentives program to "below the age of 20". http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB0757enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=1162&DocNum=757&GAID=3&Session=
Title: H.B. 757
Source: StateNet

+ Governance--School Boards--Training
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